Twin sisters Riya and Sara Kapoor made their Rangapravesh, or onstage debut, on Saturday, December 12, 2015 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in a show they called “A Night of Moves.” In the ceremony, the girls performed the traditional Bharatantayam dance form and were accompanied by a Carnatic Orchestra and a New York Jazz Quartet. This performance marked the first time this ancient tradition was done in with this format and choreography.

In their Rangapravesh, 15-year-old artists Riya and Sara Kapoor shared with the audience the culmination of over 10 years of intensive dance training and mastery of the Bharatanatyam dance form. According to their Guru Swati Bhise, the 2,000-year-old dance form requires mastery of dance, music, theater, mime, iconography, geometry and mathematics. When combined, the audience was able to experience a beautiful display of a dance and acting performance, while invoking varied emotions over the course of the two-hour, ten part recital. At her students’ request, Swati Bhise melded jazz into the usually classical program, all while staying true to the Carnatic and Bharatanatyam traditions. This was important to Riya and Sara as they wanted to recognize their ancestral heritage and pay homage to their New York identity as both worlds are a reflection of who they are as people and performers.

The orchestra created compositions influenced by the work of legendary jazz great George Wein, who attended the performance as a guest of honor, as salute to his countless contributions to music and the performing arts. The performance was attended by over 1,100 friends and family with notable attendees covering cross-sections of finance, law, technology, civic life and the arts. In addition, Riya and Sara invited students and faculty from several schools throughout Manhattan to view their groundbreaking performance.

The ceremony, started with an introduction by Emcee Kavi Kapoor, Riya and Sara’s younger brother, who welcomed everyone to the performance and delighted the crowd with his personal anecdotes. Then, the girls took to the stage to receive their blessing from their Guru Bhise and the orchestra before launching into their first number, which seeks blessings from both the stage and the audience. When the music stopped, the girls were greeted to a roar from the crowd—and received their blessing.

What followed were performances that each showed the characteristics of the Bharatantayam, including its intricate movements with all parts of the body, including calculated foot patterns and facial expressions. Each movement within this dance form is utilized to convey a wide spectrum of emotions, best captured in the Navarasa section of the performance, which marked the mid-way point of the night. For that component, the girls depicted the nine core emotions of Classical Indian Dance – beauty and love (Sringara); valor or heroism (Viram); sorrow (Karunyam); laughter (Hasya); anger (Raudram); surprise (Adbhutam); fear (Bhayānakam); disgust (Bībhatsam) and peace (Santam) – all of which were conveyed through subtle facial expressions and body contortions.

In addition to testing the girls’ ability to act and convey emotion in the Navarasa, their Rangapravesh performance also tested their physical and mental stamina in the Varnam. According to their Guru Bhise, this segment is where both girls are expected to improvise as they execute the mnemonics recited by Bhise and produced by the drummer. The girls used their knowledge of the intricate footwork patterns, movement, music and acting to convey a classical love story of a young girl enchanted, but constantly rebuffed by the Lord Shiva.

Before introducing the final performance, Kavi Kapoor shared his love and admiration for what his sisters had just accomplished and said, “I want you to know one thing right now. No matter where you go in life, I will always be your baby brother. I love you guys.” The girls then took to the stage in the climax of the performance, titled the Tillana, where the piece was built up to a crescendo using both jazz and the Carnatic orchestra as Riya and Sara Kapoor went through a rapid series of leg extensions, pirouettes and leaps bringing the audience to their feet.

After the girls returned to the stage for a final prayer and thanked their guru and musicians, their father Vikas Kapoor greeted the audience and thanked everyone for attending. For the family, it was important to meld the traditional aspects of the dance form with the modernity of the jazz form to blend the cultures together as it is the reflection of their collective identities. Additionally for Vikas and his wife Jaishri, it was important to find a way to pass the cultural baton onto his children, but to do so while still maintaining their American identities.

Guru Bhise, a protégé of Sonal Mansingh, India’s pre-eminent practitioner of the Pandanallur style which emphasizes geometric movements of the Bharatantayam form, then took to the stage to congratulate the girls on their accomplishment. For her, the girls became more than just students­—they became an extension of her. “We became more than just student and teacher, we became the ones who make fun of the parents,” she quipped. Bhise said she found teaching them to be fulfilling, adding “I’d like to say Sara and Riya, you have done me proud.” Prior to “A Night of Moves,” Bhise announced that Riya and Sara Kapoor’s Rangapravesh would be her final student presentation.

World renowned jazz producer, George Wein congratulated the girls on their debut and said, “All I could think of is the majesty and ethereal beauty of all women.”

For an encore, Rita and Sara performed a special routine set to a modern musical composition by the Oscar-winner AR Rahman. As the routine progressed, members of the jazz quartet then led guests out of the theater in a procession towards dinner in the Jazz at Lincoln Center space, which had a traditional Indian street market theme and was immediately followed by an after party in The Parkview Lounge.

Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), a nonprofit organization which remains steadfast in its commitment to identify and fund groundbreaking cancer research programs to save the lives of millions, hosted its annual New York Dinner at the The Pierre Hotel on Wednesday, December 2, 2015. The event raised more than $6 million to support groundbreaking discoveries in cancer research.

The dinner honored the 20th Season the Prostate Cancer Foundation has partnered with Major League Baseball and its team owners for the PCF Homerun Challenge, with Baseball Hall of Fame Managers Joe Torre, Tommy Lasorda and Tony La Russa. PCF also presented David Cohen of Comcast an award recognizing his philanthropic endeavors on behalf of PCF’s Philadelphia partners, funding groundbreaking research.

Following a cocktail reception, dinner hosts Whoopi Goldberg and John O’Hurley welcomed attendees to the event before introducing PCF Chairman and Founder Michael Milken. Goldberg, who has hosted numerous PCF events over the years, quipped “I remind him that I do not have a prostate.” Milken opened the evening by discussing the Charles Evans PCF Pro-Am Tour, a fundraiser hosted in conjunction with the Charles Evans Foundation where high-profile amateurs are paired with tennis professionals in four different tennis tournaments during peak seasons of each of the venues – Palm Beach, Fl., Indian Wells, CA, Westchester County, NY and the Hamptons. Joel Paschow and Bonnie Pfeifer Evans, Trustees of the Charles Evans Foundation, then spoke of Charles Evans’s memory, and shared that they were honored to be a part of what PCF and Mike Milken do.

After the brief presentation of tennis, Milken introduced the baseball theme of the event by quizzing the audience’s knowledge of Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s On First” comedy sketch. Following the quiz, Milken invited MLB attendees including Mark Attanasio, Todd Boehly, Jerry Cohen, Tommy Lasorda, Scott Minerd, Tony La Russa, Joe Torre, Mark Walter and Fred Wilpon to the stage for a special rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” while wearing special Prostate Cancer Foundation baseball jerseys. “If you buy a baseball team next year, you could be up here,” said Milken at the performance’s conclusion. Immediately following the baseball players, opera group Forte from America’s Got Talent performed their version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” before singing the classic “Il Sole Mio.”

Once Forte finished their performance, Milken began detailing the work of the PCF Home Run Challenge, which invites MLB fans to pledge a donation for every home run hit from June 1st through Father’s Day, before inviting Tommy Lasorda, Joe Torre and Tony La Russa to join him. All three have participated with the program, with Tommy Lasorda having traveled with Milken for over a decade. Since inception, Milken has attended 401 games and raised over $45 million.

Event host John O’Hurley then introduced Prostate Cancer Foundation CEO and President Dr. Jonathan Simons. PCF has been instrumental in funding extraordinary young scientists with multiple year grants. Their work has saved lives and provided better treatments for prostate cancer patients worldwide. Following the presentation, members of PCF brought up a mock baseball scoreboard with the number 173—the number of young investigators PCF has funded. Milken announced he wanted to increase that number to 200, and opened the floor for donors to pledge $75,000 for three years to support more young investigators. By the time everything was said and done, PCF put 202 new young investigators on the board. Following the pledges, the PCF opened the floor for three live auction packages that raised over $500,000.

Following the auction, Former Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell introduced the night’s honoree David Cohen, Executive Vice President of Comcast and Head of the Board of Trustees at University of Pennsylvania. Cohen served as Rendell’s Chief of Staff during his administration, where they collaborated to rebuild Philadelphia’s urban development. Rendell commended Cohen’s support of research to find ways to treat Prostate Cancer. Cohen, a prostate cancer survivor himself, thanked Milken and PCF for their efforts to stop prostate cancer and said he is, “one of tens of thousands of men who’ve benefitted from the funds raised the Prostate Cancer Foundation.”

After the award presentation, Nathan Gunn and Isabel Leonard performed, and were later joined by Forte for a special performance of “Somewhere” from West Side Story, the song the group performed during their Radio City audition on America’s Got Talent. To conclude, John Fogerty performed a special set alongside his son Shane where they performed some of his classic hits, including “Centerfield” which was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), a nonprofit organization which remains steadfast in its commitment to identify and fund groundbreaking cancer research programs to save the lives of millions, hosted its annual gala at the Parrish Art Museum in Watermill, NY on Saturday, August 29, 2015. The weekend’s events raised over $4 million, which is a record for this event.

The gala was hosted in support of the 11th Annual Charles Evans PCF Pro-Am Tennis Tournament being held from August 28 – 30, 2015, named after the successful entrepreneur who constantly turned tragic events throughout his life into philanthropic causes. The gala evening, catered by Robbins Wolfe, was a celebration featuring cocktails, dining and special performances from Natalie Cole and David Foster with special guests including American Idol Winner Ruben Studdard. 100 percent of the funds raised throughout the evening went to supporting groundbreaking discoveries in cancer research.

The night began with a short quiz by the Founder of the Prostate Cancer Foundation Michael Milken, who asked questions about magic to the crowd of gala guests such as what caused Famous Illusionist Harry Houdini’s Death, Peritonitis, and what was the first book of magic called, The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584). Fellow performer David Foster then introduced the first performer Natalie Cole, with whom he had just wrapped up an Asian tour.

Once she got onto stage, she began her set by telling the audience, “This is going to be one of the shortest sets I ever did, so listen carefully.” She began her set with her song “Almost Like Being In Love” and did a couple of covers including Renee Olstead’s “What A Difference a Day Makes.” Then she performed “Unforgettable,” her Grammy award-winning duet with her father Legendary Singer Nat King Cole, which was also the first song she had produced by fellow performer David Foster, which was received with loud applause. As she performed, video of her father singing along to the song played on TVs behind her and were interspersed with images of her and Nat while growing up. She closed her set with her father’s famous track “L.O.V.E.”

Following Cole’s set, Milken discussed the young investigators program and the funding the Prostate Cancer Foundation is doing on their behalf. As he defines them, these young investigators are young scientists in their 30s who have received all of the advanced degrees and research experience to run their own labs, however they lack the funding. It is these investigators, he said, that are leading to groundbreaking advancements in cancer research. Currently, PCF works with 153 of these young investigators who are currently researching 22 candidate molecules for cancer research, and these investigators have impacted the creation of six different FDA- Approved Prostate Cancer drugs. Following the presentation and quiz questions discussing these young investigators, Milken asked gala attendees to pledge $75,000 over the course of three years, then $75,000 for one year and then $25,000 for one year. At the conclusion of the fundraising portion, he said, “next year we will tell you how each of our young investigators changed the world.”

After a video introduction, David Foster began his set, during which he invited many of his friends to the stage to perform as he accompanied on the piano, first being Emily West, a runner-up on Reality TV competition show America’s Got Talent. She performed a couple of songs including “Nights In White Satin,” a song she performed while competing on the show. David Foster & Emily West performed The Prayer, a song David Foster wrote for Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, and halfway through the song, David Foster cut her off and said that this is meant to be a duet and introduced Forte, another top competitor on America’s Got Talent. Forte participated in a contest to see who could hold the longest note with Foster and Nathan Gunn, a baritone opera singer in the crowd that evening. At the conclusion of Forte’s set, Foster brought Shelea Frazier to the stage, who performed two songs from The Bodyguard including a cover of Whitney Houston’s rendition of “I Will Always Love You.” Halfway through the performance of I Will Always Love You, American Idol winner Ruben Studdard joined them on stage. David Foster said “Ruben Studdard has a talent, he can write a song on the spot. So let’s write one for tonight’s event.” The crowd names the song, ”A Cure Is On the Way” and Studdard improvised the words as he sang. The show ended with a group rendition of Hey Jude, then Michael Milken thanked David Foster and asked everyone to go to the other stage. At the other stage, guests danced the night away to Super Diamond, a Neil Diamond cover band.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world’s leading philanthropic organization funding and accelerating prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993, PCF has raised more than $615 million and provided funding to more than 2,000 research programs at nearly 200 cancer centers and universities. The PCF global research enterprise now extends to 19 countries. PCF advocates for greater awareness of prostate cancer and more efficient investment of governmental research funds for transformational cancer research. Its efforts has helped produce a 20-fold increase in government funding for prostate cancer.

SiriusXM’s THE MOMS Denise Albert and Melissa Musen Gerstein together with Funoogles and Plaque HD hosted a Mamarazzi® Event with Actress Salma Hayek on Thursday, August 6th, 2015 at Dolby 88. The event brought together influential moms and media for a special advance screening of Salma’s new film, The Prophet.

Before the screening, guests gathered outside the theater for interactive displays with event co-hosts Funoogles and Plaque HD. Funoogles is a new, customizable kid’s glasses line which launched April 2015, which allows for children to switch the color of the frames based on what they are wearing or their mood. Founder Jessica Darcy founded the company after seeing her daughter Ella-Jane, who has a congenital cataract which almost claimed her vision, yearn for glasses where she could express her personality and change the color of the frames each day. Plaque HD is a revolutionary, new toothpaste that reveals plaque so that you can remove it with directed brushing and flossing. Utilizing a natural, plant-based Targetol Technology, the toothpaste identifies plaque by leaving behind a light green film, which is removed with further brushing. Also available to guests were delicious bites from Treathouse and platters from Fromaggio Cheese while they sipped on boxed water provided by Just Water.

Immediately following the screening, Salma Hayek sat down for a Q & A with The MOMS Denise Albert and Melissa Gerstein where she discussed her new movie The Prophet, which is based on the volumes of poetry written by Lebanese-American author Kahlil Gibran. The project, which she also produced and spearheaded said that its coming release is akin to “being pregnant for four and a half years and finally giving birth.”

For her it is a passion project as the book as it connected her with her Lebanese Grandfather and this passion for The Prophet goes beyond her personal connection to it, she hopes to inspire children to change the world.

“We are all consumers and follow what other people dictate to us,” she said adding, “We are programmed to think either this or that. We need new people to think outside of the box.”

Thinking outside of the box is a lesson she imparts onto her daughter and said that she always tells her that she can be the best person you can be when you go outside of your comfort zone.

“When you push yourself to be the best person you can be, you can discover your superpowers,” she said.

The Prophet, by celebrated Lebanese-American author Kahlil Gibran, is among the most popular volumes of poetry ever written, selling over 100 million copies in forty languages since its publication in 1923. Gibran’s timeless verses have been given enchanting new form in this painterly cinematic adventure about freedom and the power of human expression. This breathtaking animated feature, produced and spearheaded by Salma Hayek, was an official selection at Cannes and made its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Written and directed by Roger Allers (The Lion King), the film intersperses Gibran’s elegant poetry within stunning animated sequences by filmmakers Tomm Moore (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea), Bill Plympton (Guide Dog), Joan Gratz (Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase), Nina Paley (Sita Sings the Blues), and a host of award-winning animators from around the world. Set in a Mediterranean seaside village, Kamila (Salma Hayek) cleans house for exiled artist and poet Mustafa (Liam Neeson), but the more difficult job is keeping her free-spirited young daughter, Almitra (Quvenzhané Wallis), out of trouble. The three embark on a journey meant to end with Mustafa’s return home – but first they must evade the authorities who fear that the truth in his words will incite rebellion. Featuring music from Damien Rice, Glen Hansard, Gabriel Yared, and Yo-Yo Ma.

ABOUT SALMA HAYEK PINAULT:

Salma Hayek Pinault is a Mexican and American film actress, director, and producer. She began her career in Mexico starring in the telenovela Teresa and went on to star in the film El Callejón de los Milagros for which she was nominated for an Ariel Award. In 1991 Hayek moved to Hollywood and came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as Desperado, Dogma, and Wild Wild West.

The Moms is a multi-platform lifestyle brand that celebrates–and puts a spotlight on–modern motherhood. Through their numerous broadcast appearances, Sirius XM satellite radio show and blog, Denise Albert and Melissa Musen Gerstein tackle topics both big and small that resonate with moms today. Their brutally honest–and sometimes conflicting–opinions are not only entertaining, but take the parenting conversation to a whole new level. Through their experiential events, everyday moms become celebrities, and celebrities reveal their lives as an everyday mom (or dad!). Strut, the Fashionable Moms Fashion show, showcases real moms walking the runway at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week wearing affordable and fashionable clothing that can be bought in-season. The ever-popular Mamarazzi® events provide influential moms and media with access to celebrity parents in a town-hall discussion. Mamarazzi guests have included Sarah Jessica Parker, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Garner, Kevin James, Elizabeth Banks, Tina Fey, Hugh Jackman and Pitbull. Whether they’re online, on TV, radio, or face-to-face, The Moms engage their audience with straight talk, a sense of humor and a healthy dose of fun—kind of like parenting itself.

Leaders from the worlds of cuisine, business and fashion came together in support of cutting-edge cancer research at the eleventh annual A Hamptons Happening fundraiser on July 11 to benefit the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF).

Held at the beautiful Bridgehampton estate of Maria and Kenneth Fishel, the popular event was bigger than ever. Hosted for the fourth consecutive year by WCBS-TV news anchor Chris Wragge, the benefit honored business leaders Marc J. Leder, co-CEO of Sun Capital Partners, Inc. and Bobby Zarin, Chairman of Zarin Fabrics and real estate developer. American luxury fashion house St. John was the Fashion Honoree.

The event broke previous fundraising records in its 11-year history, bringing in more than $500,000 for the SWCRF.

True to its reputation as the Hamptons’ leading philanthropic feast, A Hamptons Happening treated approximately 500 guests to the gastronomic delights presented by more than 30 of the top restaurants, caterers and food and beverage brands in New York City and the Hamptons. This year’s featured restaurateurs were Mauro Maccioni of the Le Cirque Restaurant Group, which includes Le Cirque, Sirio and Circo, Chef John DeLancie of Crown Group Hospitality, which operates The Lion and Bill’s Food & Drink.

The benefit showcased beautiful artwork for purchase or on auction to raise funds for research. Domingo Zapata’s striking acrylic painting on canvas Thrill of Danger was offered for bid in the event’s online auction hosted on Charitybuzz. Hamptons artist Daniel Pollera presented his oil painting symbolizing the SWCRF’s mission to cure cancer “A Path to a Cure,” which benefits the SWCRF through proceeds from poster sales. Finally, American Expressionist Harold Garde, represented by ArtPort, presented 16 pieces from his SIGHTINGS collection of abstracted landscapes for sale.

The evening’s awards ceremony was hosted by Chris Wragge, A Hamptons Happening founding co-chair Laurie Schaffran and SWCRF founder and CEO Samuel Waxman, M.D., who presented SWCRF awards to honorees Marc J. Leder and Bobby Zarin. Leta Saveikis, St. John’s Vice President of Retail – Boutiques, accepted the SWCRF Fashion Icon honoree award on behalf of St. John. Closing the show on a rousing note was country music artist Jon Stone of the duo American Young who surprised his friend Bobby Zarin with a performance of his Grammy-nominated hit song “Love is War” in tribute to their friendship.

The live auction conducted by Grandstand Sports offered luxurious items and experiences including dinner for ten prepared by Egidiana Maccioni, mother of Mauro Maccioni, co-owner of the Le Cirque Restaurant Group, a pair of his and her electric bikes by Polaris eBikes, and a baseball autographed by the three New York Yankees Perfect Game pitchers David Cone, Don Larsen and David Wells. The online auction hosted on Charitybuzz offered a chance to bid on special experiences such as a virtual matchmaking session with Patti Stanger, star of Bravo’s “The Millionaire Matchmaker.”

A Hamptons Happening was chaired by event co-founders Marion Waxman and Laurie Schaffran as well as Michael Trokel and Pamela Morgan. Additional chairpersons included Jessica Cohen as auction chair, Kara Council as marketing chair, Erica Fineberg as journal chair, Sarah Sarpolis as PR and social media chair and Christine Silverstein as chefs chair.

The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation is an international organization dedicated to curing and preventing cancer. The Foundation is a pioneer in cancer research and its mission is to eradicate cancer by funding cutting-edge research that identifies and corrects abnormal gene function that causes cancer and develops minimally toxic treatments for patients. Through the Foundation’s collaborative group of world-class scientists, the Institute Without Walls, investigators share information and tools to speed the pace of cancer research. Since its inception in 1976, the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation has awarded approximately $90 million to support the work of more than 200 researchers across the globe.For more information, visit: www.waxmancancer.org.